In the field of cleaning it is well known that cleaning floors is often difficult to accomplish while conserving water and detergents, while also insuring that the subject floor adequately cleaned. Typically, floors are mopped using various types of conventional mop heads, the mop head being immersed in a volume of water and soap. Several gallons of water and a proportional amount of detergent are used to clean the floor. After the mop is immersed into the water and detergent, a portion of the liquid is squeezed from the mop head and the mop is then wiped across the floor to be cleaned. This leaves the floor wet for a period of time. After the mop head becomes soiled, or after the cleaning fluids have been used up, the mop head is rinsed in the volume of water and detergent, and the process is repeated. After several iterations, the volume of liquid becomes noticeably soiled. Therefore, further applications of the liquid on the floor essentially results in further soiling the floor. Essentially, using conventional methods such as that described, dirt remains on the floor after mopping. Further, dirt remains in the mop head even after thorough rinsing. Taken as a whole, it is well known that conventional mopping methods require several gallons of water. Further, rinsing or washing conventional mop heads also requires several gallons of water to adequately clean the same.
Another problem often associated with mopping floors is that of storage of the mop. Conventionally, mop handles vary in length from approximately four feet to approximately five feet. A conventional mop head is typically secured to the distal end of the mop handle. In mops not having a mop head secured to the mop handle, a mop head base is secured thereto, with the mop head typically being a replaceable sponge-type mop head.
Many devices have been produced to overcome deficiencies in the art as described. Typical of the art are those devices disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Issue Date ______________________________________ 577,220 T. P. Whitehead Feb. 16, 1897 789,258 M. T. Connolly May 9, 1905 1,027,209 D. Margolius May 21, 1912 3,077,627 B. A. Ashworth Feb. 19, 1963 3,596,304 D. I. Welt Aug. 3, 1971 4,000,537 Y. K. Woo Jan. 4, 1977 4,530,130 T. C. Moss July 23, 1985 4,852,210 S. W. Krajicek Aug. 1, 1989 5,042,105 M. J. Buck, et al. Aug. 27, 1991 5,319,821 R. V. Nicholson, et al. June 14, 1994 5,333,347 R. Stranders Aug. 2, 1994 5,343,587 M. L. Findley Sept. 6, 1994 ______________________________________
Of these devices, those devices disclosed by Whitehead ('220), Connolly ('258), Margolius ('209), and Findley ('587) each incorporate various methods of sectioning the mop handle in order to vary the length. The length may be varied for reaching difficult locations, for use by persons of varying heights, or for ease of storage. However, these devices are not disclosed as having removable, washable mop heads. Further, these devices are not associated with mop heads which require minimal amounts of water and cleaning fluids.
Those patents issued to Ashworth ('627), Welt ('304), Woo ('537), Moss ('130), and Nicholson, et al. ('821) each disclose a tool having a removable handle. However, neither of these devices teaches the use of a water-conserving mop head.
Buck, et al. ('105) teach a removable mop head cover fabricated from terry cloth for cleaning the depressions in vinyl flooring. The mop head cover is specifically disclosed as being provided for covering a sponge-type mop head. However, the mop head is otherwise used in conventional fashion. Specifically, the mop head cover of the '105 device is used with a bucket of water and cleaning agents as described above.
Stranders ('347) discloses a device for cleaning the inner surfaces of the windshields of an automobile. The '347 device is specifically designed to overcome the difficulties of cleaning these surfaces due to the concave configuration of each and the obstacles presented, such as the dashboard and steering wheel, when attempting to clean the same. While disclosing such a device, Stranders also discloses a removable cleaning cloth secured to the mop head in one embodiment using conventional hook-and-loop fasteners. This device still fails to teach a cleaning pad construction wherein minimal cleaning fluids are required.
Krajicek ('210) discloses a wet mop for use with an interchangeable scrubbing pad and cloth wipe. The cloth wipe is fabricated from terry cloth and is provided with an elastic band around its perimeter for securing the cloth to the mop head. The scrubbing pad is held in place using conventional hook-and-loop fasteners. However, the mop disclosed by Krajicek is described as being a wet mop, such as the conventional mops set out above.
None of the prior an made of record has disclosed a mop wherein a mop head is used which requires minimal cleaning fluids in order to sanitarily clean a floor. Further, the prior art fails to disclose a construction of a mop head which may be reused after washing in a conventional clothes washing machine along with other clothing, thus requiring no additional water or cleaning agents to clean the mop.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a mop having a removable mop head whereby minimal cleaning fluids are required to sanitarily clean a floor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a mop wherein the mop head is provided with a removable pad which is washable in a conventional washing machine and thus reusable.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a mop head whereby repeated use of the mop head pad minimizes waste due to the disposal of used mops and mop heads as in conventional devices.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mop having a mop handle removable from the mop head and sectioned such that the handle may be broken down into at least two portions for easy storage and transport of the mop.